Saturday, March 8th, 2008
Scoble’s new venture launched recently . . . Pot meet the kettle: scottO rips Groundspeak for its less than courteous customer service. I truly wonder what he thinks the perception of Terracaching.com’s customer service is . . . Ed Morrissey’s When the Democratic Party moves too far left for George McGovern, you know they’re in trouble made me spray my computer screen . . . It’s interesting that the guy who got me into geocaching is also now blogging . . . much ado is being made out of John McCain’s reaction to NY Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller. That isn’t anger to me and I have no issue with his response. It was a silly question he was asked and he let her know it . . . ’twas just reminded that I will be at Yankee Stadium in June for a game. It is the last season for the House That Ruth Built . . . gearing up for lawn care as I dropped the mower and edger off for service today . . . “Oh, get over it!” You have to love Scalia . . . from an e-mail I received earlier this week: “I hope all the bastards who got those no-money-down loans do get thrown out of their houses.” . . . completing classroom book orders online is wonderful. No longer do I have to fill out those dreaded forms and mail them in. We’ll see how quickly they arrive . . . California now requires parents who homeschool their children to have teaching certs. Ha! or should that be Bah! Sure, force parents to be indoctrinated in the system they want to be rid of. That makes sense . . . More spewage: “Adam Eaton is picking up right where he left off last season — getting pummeled like Apollo Creed in the beginning of Rocky IV” . . . I came across this (don’t ask how). The more I see of stuff like this, the more I am sympathetic to celebrities. I think they give up some of their personal lives as the trade off of stardom, but this kind of stuff is ridiculous . . . a good chuckle . . . Wow! Reading a book is considered “racial harassment” . . .
Posted in Baseball, Education, GPS Games, Geocaching, Media, Politics, Sports, TerraCaching | No Comments »
Monday, February 4th, 2008
It’s been a while since I have quoted the NY Times. But it finally did away with its insidious pay-per-view schema that kept the columnists from public view and Bill Kristol recently signed onboard.
Today Kristol wrote:
This is an important moment for the conservative movement. Not because conservatives have some sort of obligation to fall in behind John McCain. They don’t. Those conservatives who can’t abide McCain are free to rally around Mitt Romney. And if McCain does prevail for the nomination, conservatives are free to sit out the election.
But I’d say this to them: When the primaries are over, if McCain has won the day, don’t sulk and don’t sit it out. Don’t pretend there’s no difference between a candidate who’s committed to winning in Iraq and a Democratic nominee who embraces defeat. Don’t tell us that it doesn’t matter if the next president voted to confirm John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court, or opposed them. Don’t close your eyes to the difference between pro-life and pro-choice, or between resistance to big government and the embrace of it.
And don’t treat 2008 as a throwaway election. If a Democrat wins the presidency, he or she will almost certainly have a Democratic Congress to work with. That Congress will not impede a course of dishonorable retreat abroad. It won’t balk at liberal Supreme Court nominees at home. It won’t save the economy from tax hikes.
If, by contrast, McCain wins the presidency — and all the polls suggest he’d be the best G.O.P. bet to do so — he’ll be able to shape a strong American foreign policy, nominate sound justices and fight for parts of the conservative domestic agenda.
In other words, don’t vote for McCain, vote against the evil Democrats.
Sorry, but that line isn’t going to cut it this time around. If the GOP wants me with them, it will need to nominate a candidate whom I can support. Running out someone they call a Republican doesn’t work. What if Ron Paul would somehow magically win the nomination? Because he is a Republican we are supposed to support him? Hardly.
McCain’s issues are too numerous.
One might add a special reason that conservatives — and the nation — owe John McCain at least a respectful hearing. Only a year ago, we were headed toward defeat in Iraq. Without McCain’s public advocacy and private lobbying, President Bush might not have reversed strategy and announced the surge of troops in January 2007. Without McCain’s vigorous leadership, support for the surge in Congress would not have been sustained in the first few months of 2007. So: No McCain, no surge. No surge, failure in Iraq, a terrible setback for America — and, as it happens, no chance for a G.O.P. victory in 2008.
Huh? Because he is right on one issue I am supposed to vote for him? If I could find one issue Clinton or Obama were correct on, would that justify voting for them?
This sense of rewarding what is right is what educators see all the time. The “bad” child is bribed with tangible rewards if he is “good” for a short period of time. Meanwhile the “always good” children are never acknowledged.
Put out a good candidate that I can support and I’ll vote for him. Put out a liberal and call him a conservative, I’ll look elsewhere to place my vote.
I am surprised at Kristol’s stance on this one.
Some conservatives can close their eyes to all this. They can choose to stand aside from history while having a temper tantrum. But they should consider that the American people might then choose not to invite them back into a position of responsibility for quite a while to come.
I don’t want any part of a party that abandons its core principles.
A reader of Michelle Malkin’s created the image/bumper sticker above. It sums up the issue for conservatives very well.
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Friday, November 10th, 2006
Gannett reports:
Without much detail, the state’s legislative leaders announced Thursday that a majority of households would see their property tax bill drop about 20 percent after they enact reform bills by the end of the year.
I call bull.
As I have stated previously, reducing property taxes means there will be fewer dollars to fund municipal government. While I have no problem with that, I suspect the guys sitting in my city hall who keep raising my taxes will be miffed to have fewer dollars to spend.
I suspect that the promise is hollow. At best, property taxes will be reduced only to be offset by an increase in the income tax.
Suppose I pay $10,000 in taxes: $8000 in property taxes and $2000 in income taxes. What benefit will I glean if I pay $6600 in property taxes and $3400 in income taxes?
I will await the plan, but I am old enough to not expect reform. Legislative leaders include Joe Roberts, Dick Codey, Wayne Bryant etc. When was the last time any of those guys proposed a cut in spending? Even the Gray Lady is onboard with cutting spending.
Will this plan include spending cuts? Will the legislative leaders reduce the sales tax they forced on its constituents? Will they propose legislation to not enact the amendments passed on Tuesday that guarantee tax increases?
We;ll have to wait and see. This cynic will be watching closely.
Posted in New Jersey, Politics | 1 Comment »
Monday, August 28th, 2006
Others have picked up on something I have too.
Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were released by their kidnappers yesterday. That is a very good thing.
In his statement afterwards, Centanni said,
We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint.
Upon hearing that, I asked Gert if she would have done that.
We both said that we would hope that we would be strong enough to not denounce God, but understood that at gunpoint in a war zone, who knows what we would do. I certainly have no negative thoughts about Centanni or Wiig over this. None at all.
But the Gray Lady doesn’t quite understand the situation. In today’s story filed by Steven Erlanger (reg. req.) the lead shows a fundamental misunderstanding:
Two journalists kidnapped in Gaza were released unharmed today after being forced at gunpoint to say on a videotape that they had converted to Islam.
Being forced to renounce God at gunpoint is harm.
Being kidnapped and held hostage for two weeks is harm.
Being an apologist for this group doesn’t sit well. Yes, Centanni and Wiig could have been treated far worse physically. Spiritually, I suggest, being forced to renounce God is about as bad as it gets.
Posted in Media, Religion | 2 Comments »
